Funk
:Contains text that was deleted from Wikipedia (WP), 1969]] Funk is a vigorous African American style of music developed mainly by James Brown and his band members (especially Maceo and Melvin Parker) on the one hand and groups like The Meters on the other hand. In the 1970s, George Clinton developed a new kind of funk he termed P Funk. Other prominent representatives of the genre in the 1970s: Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ohio Players, The Commodores, War, Earth, Wind and Fire, Mass Production, Slave, Lakeside, and many more. In the 1980s, funk lost some of its audience as bands became more commercial and music more electronic. Today, hip hop artists regularly sample old funk tunes, sometimes for the purpose of waking them up to new recognition. Funk can be best recognized by syncopated rhythm, thick bass line (often based on "on one" beat), razor-sharp rhythm guitars, yowlish vocals (as that of Cameo or Bar-Kays), strong rhythm-oriented brass section, percussion instruments, happiness in style, African tones, dance floor audience, and strong jazzy influences (e.g. as in Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Eddie Harries, and others). Funk such as the Funkadelic song "One Nation Under A Groove" (1978) are about the challenges that Blacks overcame during the 1960s civil rights movement; it includes an exhortation for Blacks in the 1970s to capitalize on what new social and political opportunities had become available in the 1970s.Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 26 The Isley Brothers song "Fight the Power" (1975) has a political message.Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 57 Parliament's song "Chocolate City" (1975) metaphorically refers to Washington D.C. and other US cities that have a mainly Black population, and it draws attention to the potential power that Black voters wield and suggests that a Black President be considered in the future.Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 29 The political themes of funk songs and the aiming of the messages to a Black audience echoed the new image of Blacks that was created in Blaxploitation films, which depicted "African-America men and women standing their ground and fighting for what was right".Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 36 Both funk and Blaxploitation films addressed issues faced by Blacks and told stories from a Black perspective. Another link between 1970s funk and Blaxploitation films is that many of these films used funk soundtracks (e.g., Curtis Mayfield for Superfly; James Brown and Fred Wesley for Black Caesar and War for Youngblood).Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. pp. 55–56 Funk songs included metaphorical language that was understood best by listeners who were "familiar with the black aesthetic and black vernacular".Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 66 For example, funk songs included expressions such as "shake your money maker", "funk yourself right out" and "move your boogie body".Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 72 Another example is the use of "bad" in the song "Super Bad" (1970), which black listeners knew meant "good" or "great".Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 75 Funk bands in the 1970s adopted Afro-American fashion and style, including "Bell-bottom pants, platform shoes, hoop earrings, Afros hairstyles, leather vests,... beaded necklaces",Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 62 dashiki shirts, jumpsuits and boots.Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 68 In contrast to earlier bands such as The Temptations, which wore "matching suits" and "neat haircuts" to appeal to white mainstream audiences, funk bands adopted an "African spirit" in their outfits and style. George Clinton and Parliament are known for their imaginative costumes and "freedom of dress", which included bedsheets acting as robes and capes.Lacy, Travis K., ""Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 69 The distinctive characteristics of African-American musical expression are rooted in sub-Saharan African music traditions, and find their earliest expression in spirituals, work chants/songs, praise shouts, gospel, blues, and "body rhythms" (hambone, patting juba, and ring shout clapping and stomping patterns). Funk music is an amalgam of soul music, soul jazz, R&B, and Afro-Cuban rhythms absorbed and reconstituted in New Orleans. Like other styles of African-American musical expression including jazz, soul music and R&B, funk music accompanied many protest movements during and after the Civil Rights Movement. Funk allowed everyday experiences to be expressed to challenge daily struggles and hardships fought by lower and working class communities. In the 1970s, to get around radio obscenity restrictions, funk artists would use words that sounded like non-allowed words and double entendres to get around restrictions. For example, The Ohio Players had a song entitled "Fopp" which referred to "Fopp me right, don't you fopp me wrong/We'll be foppin' all night long...". Some funk songs used made-up words which suggested that they were "writing lyrics in a constant haze of marijuana smoke", such as Parliament's "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop)", which includes words such as "bioaquadooloop". The mainstream white listener base was often not able to understand funk's lyrical messages, which contributed to funk's lack of popular music chart success with white audiences during the 1970s.Lacy, Travis K., "Funk is its own reward" : an analysis of selected lyrics in popular funk music of the 1970s" (2008). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Paper 22. p. 56-57 Disco music owes a great deal to funk. Most famous/typical funky songs of all time: # Commodores - "Brick House" # James Brown - "Sex Machine" # Parliament - "Give Up the Funk" # Earth, Wind and Fire - "Jupiter" # Ohio Players - "Fire" # Temptations - "Shakey Ground" # Tower of Power - "Love Bug" # Tower of Power - "This Is Hip" # Lakeside - "Fantastic Voyage" Funk music was exported back to Africa in the mid to late 1960s, and melded with African singing and rhthyms to form Afrobeat. Funk musicians, alphabetically by last name: *The Average White Band *The Bar-Kays *The Blackbyrds *Bloodstone *Bootsy's Rubber Band *Brass Construction *The Brecker Brothers *Brick *The Brides of Funkenstein *The Brothers Johnson *James Brown *B.T. Express *Donald Byrd *Cameo *Chaka Khan *Chic *The Commodores *Con Funk Shun *Dazz Band *Earth, Wind & Fire *Eddie Hazel *Fatback *Funkadelic (WP) *The Gap Band *Graham Central Station *Herbie Hancock *Hot Chocolate *The Impressions *The Isley Brothers *Michael Jackson *Jimmy Castor *Joe Tex *Kool & the Gang *LaBelle *Lakeside *Mandrill *Mayfield, Curtis *The Meters (WP) *Morris Day *The Neville Brothers *Parker, Maceo *Parlet *Parliament (WP) *Prince (WP) *Red Hot Chili Peppers (WP) *Rick James (WP) *Slave *The Temptations *The Time *Tower of Power *Shuggie Otis *Sly & the Family Stone (WP) *Talking Heads (WP) *Eric Burdon and War WP *Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band *Wild Cherry *Stevie Wonder (WP) *Zapp Note: Despite its name, Grand Funk Railroad is not a funk band; it is a straight rock band. Links Category:Funk Category:African-American culture Category:African-American music Category:African-American history Category:American styles of music Category:Popular music Category:1960s in music Category:1970s in music Category:1970s fads and trends Category:Music